Railway-switch.



No. Bll,?38.

IA`I}EI\T`['E}3t PEB. 6, 1906. L. R. PARSNS.

RAILWAY SWTCH.

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No. 811,738. PATBNTBD FEB. 6, 1906- L. R. PARSNS. RAILWAY SWITCH.

PPLIOATIUH FXLBD JULY 27, 19D5.

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gitane? LOUIS R. PARSONS, OF STRONGHURST, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

Application iiled July 27, 1905. Serial No. 271,500.

To all. whom it may concern:

Y' Be it known that I, Louis R. PARsoNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stronghurst, in the county of Henderson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Switches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic railway-switches; and it consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of the invention is to provide a' simple, durable, and eflicient mechanism by means of which the switchpoints may be thrown or operated from either end'of a movlng tram.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for automatically locking the switch-points in either opened or closed position.

A further object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction and operation of mechanisms of this character, and thereby render the samemore eiicient and durable in use.

The above and other objects, which Wiil appear as the nature of the invention is better `onderstood, are accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a main-line track and its siding with my improved mechanism for o eratlng the switch points. Fig. 2 is a siV e elevation of the same, the parts of the operatin mechanism being in the positions shown in ig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail verticai transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the lookin shaft, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view throug one of the operating devices that are actuated by levers or other means upon the train.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A denotes a main-line track. B denotes a siding leading from the main track, and C denotes a pair of movable switchpoints, which are actuated by my improved mechanism 1. This mechanism comprises one or more rotary or oscillatoryT devices 2, which are arranged adjacent to thc tracks upon one or both ends of the switch and which are actuated by levers or other suitable devices carried by the trains passing over the tracks. These devices 2 actuate by means of connectingbars or links 3 a rotary disk or wheel 4, which is mounted upon one side of the track adjacent to the switch-point and which is operatively connected to the latter. As shown in the drawings, the rotary wheel or element 4 is in the form of a beveled gear, which is mounted upon a vertically-disposed pivot 5, provided on a bearing-bracket 6, which is secured upon one of the cross-ties. The cog-teeth 7 upon the under side of this gear or wheel 4 extend but part of the Way around its periphery for a purpose presently explained, and upon its under side is a depending crank-pin 8, which projects loosely through a slot 9, formed in one end of a link 10, which has its opposite end pivotally connected, as at 11, to the outer end of a bar 12, which connects the movabie switch-points O. As shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, said bar 12 is connected to the switch-point by brackets 13, and to said points are also secured, as shown at'14, guard-rails 15. The links or rods 3 each have their inner ends pivoted, as shown at 16, upon pivots arranged upon the upper face of the wheel or elemente at diametrically opposite points, as clearly shown in Fig. I of the drawings, and the outer ends of said rods 3 are pivotaliy connected, as shown at 17, to the rotary or oscillatory devices 2. The latter, as shown in the drawings, are in the form of disks or blocks 18, which are pivoted, as shown at 19, upon brackets 20, provided upon the crossties adjacent to the track-rails. These disks or blocks 18 have their upper edges or peripheries curved substantially concentric with the pivots 17 and formed with V-shaped or segmental-shaped recesses 19, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. cesses have outlet-openings 20 at their inner ends to permit water, dirt, or other foreign matter to pass out of the same. In recesses or o enngs 19 of each of the disks 18 are ivotal y mounted two trip-levers Z1 22, W ich are adapted to swing inwardly into or partiall f into the recesses 19 and are held normal y in radiallyrojecting positions against the ends 23 of sai recesses 19 by springs 24, which are here shown in the form of coils having one end connected to one of the levers lCO Said reand the other end to studs upon said disks 18. The trip-levers 21 22 are so mounted that they project almost at angles of forty-five degrees with respect to each other, so that the movement of the disks 18, and hence of the disk or wheel 4, is practically a quarter of a revolution. The said levers 21 may be of any desired form and may project outwardly to a greater or less extent, according to the construction of the lever or other operating device which is to operate them and which is carried by the engine, the caboose, or other cars of a train. Owing to the manner in which the disks 18 are mounted and the manner in which the trip-levers are mounted upon said disks,it will be seen that one or the other of said levers of each device will be at j all times in a vertical position, so as to be in the path of the lever or operating device upon the train when said lever or operating device is projected by the engineer or other trainoperator. 4

In order to lock the switch-points C in either their open or closed position, I provide beneath the track-rails and adjacent to the points of the switch a locking-shaft 25. This shaft is journaled in bearing-brackets 26, secured to the track-rails, as shown, or upon the cross-ties, and has secured upon one of its ends a beveled gear or pinion 27, which is adapted to mesh with the cog-teeth 7 upon the gear or wheel 4. The locking-shaft 25 at points adjacent to the switch-points C is notched or recessed, as shown at 28 29, so that when the shaft is turned to bring either of said notches orrecesses beneath the switchpoints and their guard-rails the latter will be eld therein by shoulders 30, formed at the inner ends of said notches by those portions of the shaft which have not been cut away, as will be readily seen upon reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings. The notches or recesses 28 29 are dis osed at diametricall r opposite points, so that when one is turne to engage one point of the switch or to permit the latter to drop into it the other notch or recess will be u on the under side of the shaft, and when neitllier of said recesses are in o erative position the switch-point may side freely in either direction upon the top of said shaft. By forming the opening 9 in the link 1() in the form of a longitudlnally-extending slot the crank-pin 8 is permitted to move therein before actuating said link, the bar 12, and the switch-points C, so that when either of the devices 2 is actuated the locking-shaft 25 will be rst actuated by the movement of the wheel 4, so as to unlock the switch-point, and the link 10 and bar 11 will then be operated to shift said points, as will be readily understood.

The o eration of the mechanism is as follows: hen the main-line track is closed, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and a train coming in the direction of the arrow in said i figure desires to pass onto the :siding B the engineer' upon thc trani projects his ever or operating device to cause it to engage the j trip-lever 21 of the device 2 upon the near side of the switch. As the engine passes, this j device and its disk 18 will be oscillated in a forward direction, owing to the engagement of said trip-lever 20 with the end of the slot or recess 19, and the link or rod 3 will move the gear or wheel 4- a quarter of a revolution. The gear 4 first actuates the shaft 25 to unlock the switch-points and then shifts them through the connection of the link 10 and the switch and bar 12. As the lever 21 is moved forwardly and downwardly the lever 2() is brought to a vertical position, and the reverse occurs with respect to the levers of the device 2 at the far end of the switch. In other words, the lever 2() of the device at the far end of the switch is brought to a vertical position, so that it may be actuated by the ever or operating device upo'n the caboose or rear car of the train. It will be seen that should the lever or operating device upon the caboose oi the rear car of the train be projected before said Caboose or car passes the lever 22 upon the device 2 at the near side of the switch the said lever 22 will swing forwardly and downwardly into the recess 19 in its disk 18 as the car-lever passes over it and will be instantly returned to its vertical position by the action of its coiled sprin It will be seen that by means of t is mechanism the switch point may be o erated from either end of the train when the atter is passing in either direction-that is, coming in or going out of the switch, backing train in, or heading inso that it automaticall locks itself in both its open and closed position.

From the fore oing description, taken in connection with t e accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended ex lanation.

Various changes in the orm, proportion, and the minor details of constructlon may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is* L 1. The combination with a main track an a siding, of a movable switch-point, a crank disk or element, operative connections between the crank of said disk and said point, an oscillatory device, a connection between said device and said disk, trip-levers upon said oscillatory device, means for limiting the swingin movement of said levers, and means or holding said levers normally in a projected position.

2. The combination with a main track and a siding, of a movable switchpoint, a crank disk or element, operative connections ben tween tne crank of said disk and said point, en oscillatory disk formed with a segmentalshaped recess, radially-projecting trip-levers pivoted in said recess and adapted to swing inwardly into thc same, and springs for retaining said trip-levers in engagement with the ends oi said recess.

3. The combination with a iiiein-line'liraok and e. siding, of movable switch-points, a bar connecting` said points, a crank-disk, e link connecting said bar and the crank ol' said disk, oscillatory disks mounted adjacent to said tracks and formedwith segmental-sha )ed recesses, cranks connecting said oscillatory disks and said crank-disk, levers pivoted in thc recesses in said oscillatoryv disks, and springs vfor holding said levers in engagement with the ends of said disks, substantially as described 4. The conioina'ion with a main-line track and a siding, oi movable s\vitcl1-poi11ts, e. shaft jonrnaled beneath saine and formed at dianietrioally opposite points with notches to receive said points, a beveled gear, a beveled pinion upon said shaft and in mesh with said gear, and oscillatory devices mounted adjacent to said tracks, and links connecting said devices and said gear, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a main-line track and a siding, of movable switch-points, a ber connecting said points, a locking-shalt. jonrnaled beneath said points and having nolches lo receive the latter, a beveled gear, a beveled pinion upon said shaft in inesh with said gear, a crank-pin upon said gear, a link pivoted to said bar and formed with a slot to receive said crank-pin, oscillatory disks mounted adjacent to said tracks and formed with recesses, links connecting seid disks and said gearing, levers pivotally mounted in the recesses in seid disks, and springs for holding said levers in engagement with the ends of said recesses, substantially as described,

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set inf; hand in presence of two subscribing; nitnesses.

LUIS R. PARSONS. lllitnesses l C. PAnsoNs, T, J, Ronnn'rs. 

